Conservative conference: squeezed middle gives way to strivers

New buzzword and change of tone are first signs of what appears to be a response to Ed MiIiband's move into Tory territory

Tim Montgomerie, who set up the Conservative­Home site, says the Tories must help strivers but not ignore those unable to work hard. Photograph: Christopher Thommond for the Guardian Christopher Thommond/Guardian

David Cameron's attempt to reach out to the "strivers" in society, with a series of measures to be unveiled at the Conservative conference this week, received a cautious welcome in the party on Sunday.

The prime minister is reported to be planning to use his conference speech on Wednesday to appeal to people who "work hard and want to get on", regardless of their social background, he told the Sunday Times.

Cameron's choice of language has echoes of previous politicians from across the political spectrum. Last year the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, used his speech to stand up for society's "grafters".

But while "strivers" became an instant buzzword around the party conference in Birmingham, Cameron's aides said the word itself might not be used in his speech, though they insisted "it's not one we'll run away from".

The change of tone, away from an emphasis on the "squeezed middle", was reflected in the first two policies briefed for the conference start: a cap on regulated rail fares for commuters, and a freeze on next year's council tax bills.

The potential weaknesses of Cameron's argument were highlighted by Labour's immediate response, mocking any attempt by him to shed the party's "posh boy" image, which polls increasingly identify as a key bar to more popularity.

"[David Cameron] says one thing, but time and again does another," said Michael Dugher, Labour's shadow minister for the Cabinet Office. "He says those at the top will need to pay more but he is the man whose top priority is to cut taxes for millionaires, giving 8,000 people earning over £1m a tax break of £40,000 this April."

Pressure for the shift from within the party, however, was reaffirmed on Sunday by a YouGov poll for the news and opinion website ConservativeHome.

The poll found that only 1-8% of people did not vote Tory because of issues such as its strong views on crime and immigration, or because of attitudes to women and minority groups. However, 28% of those polled agreed that Conservatives did not "care enough about the very poor and vulnerable", and 28% said Tories did not "care enough about the NHS and other public services".

The main problem, said 41%, was that the Tories were "the party of the rich".

Boris Johnson, in an article in the Daily Telegraph, called for more help for the "struggling middle" – working families with incomes ranging from £30,000 to £64,000 – particularly regarding issues like housing. "They are not being helped," he wrote. "They are feeling utterly and understandably ignored. It is time to help them."

ConservativeHome's founder and editor, Tim Montgomerie, has set up an internal campaign group under the banner "strong and compassionate", arguing that to win its first majority for 20 years the party had to have "a radical overhaul of … message, manifesto and machine".

Based on its polling, the party should be on the side of aspiration or "strivers", said Montgomerie, but it must not be to the exclusion of those who cannot strive, in the economic sense at least.

"Once we have got a more focused welfare state we should be proud of looking after people who can't look after themselves," added Montgomerie.

The shift was welcomed by Mark Reckless, an MP who is not afraid to criticise the government. He said that the idea of strivers was an improvement on the "infinitely elastic term, squeezed middle".

However, Reckless acknowledged that the new approach would be judged by policies, not by the language. The cap on commuter fares to only 1% over inflation was particularly useful for his constituency in Kent, said Reckless.